Sixteen companies gathered within the Dutch-Serbian Business Association – First General Meeting to take place in early 2019

The Dutch-Serbian Business Association has been founded in Belgrade, which is an important step in connecting business people from the two countries, it was announced at the event organized by the Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, H.E. Henk van den Dool.

The director of the association, Djordje Petrovic, told eKapija that it was surprising that the Netherlands had not had its business association in Serbia before, considering its significant business presence.

– More than 15,000 people are employed at Dutch companies which operate in Serbia, and the Netherlands invested around EUR 2.3 billion from 2010 till 2018 as a state, making it the biggest source of direct foreign investments. That’s why we decided to initiate this after a meeting we had in the Hague, where we established a sort of an informal Dutch-Serbian business club. After that, we managed to start this initiative here in Serbia, with the great support of the Embassy of the Netherlands, of course. The seriousness of the endeavor is shown by the presence of representatives of the biggest Dutch companies in Serbia, such as Heineken, Levi9, Vahali, Kupujem-Prodajem and also some small and medium enterprises – Petrovic told eKapija.

As he says, he hopes that those companies will make up the core of the Dutch-Serbian Business Association, which, he hopes, will have a significant influence in the things they plan to do in the upcoming period. A great interest of Dutch business people shows that there’s been a long wait for one such association to be founded, and Petrovic emphasizes the importance of connecting the economies of Serbia and the Netherlands.

– Above all, we believe that our companies will benefit the most here, since there’s a lot that can be learned from Dutch companies. On the other hand, we want the association to be the mediator between the Dutch companies that operate here and our state, so the feedback that it will get from Dutch investors will help Serbia find a way to improve the business climate here in the country. Of course, that will make it easier for all companies, not just Dutch ones, that come to our market to do business here.

The association already has 16 members and they plan to have the number grow in the upcoming period.

– Some of the biggest Dutch companies are now members, and there are also some small and medium enterprises. We only had a short amount of time to do some things. We plan to organize the first general meeting in early 2019, involving current members and members who will join in the upcoming period, where we should adopt some new goals and an action plan. This, then, is only a prelude to what is to follow. Our aim is to have more members in the upcoming years and, of course, to have the Association become more and more functional – Petrovic told eKapija.

The Dutch Ambassador to Serbia, Henk van den Dool, emphasized that he was proud of the fact that a large number of Dutch companies and brands were famous in Serbia and that Dutch companies had a positive impact on the local areas they are active in. He emphasized the constructive role of the Dutch business community in presenting the Netherlands abroad and the positive effects Dutch companies could have on local economic development through improving business practices, advocating the policy of corporate social responsibility, workplace safety and the creation of jobs, among other things.

As he pointed out, he is happy that four Dutch companies started this initiative in Serbia and that many other companies have already joined the Association in order to create a platform through which the considerable presence of Dutch companies in the Serbian economy can reflect through an even stronger impact on the Serbian market, a more focused, intense dialogue with Serbian institutions, local self-governments and other partners, as well as enable the members of the Association to network and exchange knowledge and experience.

Bojan Lekovic, the owner of the leading internet portal Kupujem-Prodajem and one of the founders of the Dutch-Serbian Business Association, said that the founding of the association was a clear signal for all companies in the Netherlands, large and small, that Serbia has become a very attractive destination for their investments.

Dutch companies employ over 15,000 people in Serbia. They are active in a large number of sectors, from shipbuilding to IT, sales, farming, beer industry and design. In 2017, bilateral trade between Serbia and the Netherlands exceeded EUR 600 million.

Ambasada Kraljevine Holandije Beograd

Heineken Srbija

KP Advertajzing Niš

Levi 9 global sourcing Balkan d.o.o. Novi Sad

Vahali Metal Treatment d.o.o. Zasavica

HSPA

founding of Dutch Serbian Business Association

Djordje Petrovic

Henk van den Dool

Bojan Lekovic

Dutch investments in Serbia

export to the Netherlands

economic cooperation of Serbia and the Netherlands

Dutch Serbian Business Association